[Locke]

W 44. Last episode before slow downloads cast me out to the fate of trying to buffer the W movie on Youtube in HD. I predict a lot of swearing in my future.

I really don't like a lot of these twists. I was immensely disappointed that the show did the 'actually a Sonozaki' twist, not once, but TWICE. This show is like Kamen Rider Six Degrees of Separation. Sho's every man, strength of character, characterisation is feeling increasingly more like a token gesture as what was once a thought provoking, trope defying series, becomes increasingly more bogged down in generic, clichéd storytelling.

Similarly, I'm really not feeling Accel's developments. I really do like that Accel has raised up to become a warrior of forgiveness and understanding, but this is all too fast. First we get that stupid 'hey isn't this convenient you're immune to the big bad's attacks because PHYSIOLOGY!' but then we get all this shit this episode with Shroud.

This is what I mean, about this shows inability to allow pay off to satisfyingly...pay off. When an arc opens with a bad episode, it normally saves it with a great concluding one but whenever this show sets up a good story and gets you invested in it, it trips almost every damn time right at the yard line.

Ryu literally JUST learnt that the woman who helped him get his revenge, was the reason he was seeking it in the first place. I know it's indirectly, but what, does that make it okay? 'Hey you gave this weapon of mass destruction to this clearly damaged individual, who went on to slaughter my family, but it isn't YOUR fault you gave a clearly damaged individual the power to slaughter my family! Hey wait...' Before even the rage sets in, there would be shock and confusion but basically all of that is glossed over so they could have a dramatic scene of him saying he forgives her and just no. It has no impact.

The only real good part of the episode, was Shroud's backstory. Although the whole tragic backstory for a character I don't know business, sucks, that is probably the first time in the whole series we've seen our Big Bad do something genuinely evil.

Oh well, Shroud left as quickly as she came, and now it's movie time. The show still has a few episodes to save this awful final leg yet.